Envelop-fastening device.



A. SCHLEBiR. ENVELOP FASTENING DEVICE. 'APPLICATlOR FILED APR. 25.1917- Patented Jan. 8, 1918.

FFTC.

ALBERT SCI-ILEBER, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

ENVELOP-FASTENING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

1atented J an. 8, 1918.

Application filed April 25, 1917. Serial No. 164,452.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT SCHLEBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the county of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelop- Fastening Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in envelop fastening devices.

The object of this invention is to provide a fastening device, which is so constructed that when once applied to an envelop and sealed, it will be impossible for any unauthorized person to open the envelop without detection.

Another object of this invention is to provide an envelop sealing device, which includes a plate having a base member and a sealing member, a pin arranged centrally through the sealing member and adapted to extend upwardly through the ends of the end flaps of an envelop when folded, the ends of the sealing member bent upwardly and extended through the ends of the side flaps and bottom flap of an envelop, and a keeper plate carried by the interior of the sealing tongue of the envelop and provided with a central opening to receive the free end of the pin therethrough, which is upset to seal the two plates together and the ends of the keeper plate are bent clownwardly through the sealing flap and the envelop is eifectively sealed and cannot be opened by an unauthorized person.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a sealing device of this char acter, which will be simple, practical and comparatively inexpensive in construction, and one that can be manufactured and sold at a low cost.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and set forth in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an envelop folded and sealed by my improved sealing device,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bottom plate and base member.

Fig. at is a perspective view of the keeper plate.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the base plate.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the blank of the base plate,

Fig. '7 is a view of the sealing pin.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates an envelop of the ordinary construction in its entirety and it comprises the bottom flap 2, the side or end flaps 3 and the sealing tongue 4, and

to these flaps there is adapted to be applied my improved fastening device.

The end flaps 3 are first folded inwardly and the bottom flap 2 is folded against the exterior of the end flaps 3, and my improved sealing device has the base plate designated in its entirety by the numeral 5 and is secured to the end flaps 3 and bottom flap 2, the sealing tongue l is then arranged to be bent downwardly in the manner shown in Fig. 1 and it carries the keeper plate designated in its entirety by the numeral 6 and the keeper plate is adapted to receive the upper end of a pin, which extends through the base plate 5, thus effectively securing and sealing the envelop against opening by an unauthorized person.

The base plate 5 or anchoring member is formed from a single blank of sheet metal and is bent to provide a substantially diamond shape body 7, which has formed from its one edge a substantially rectangular plate 8. The plate 8 is bent back upon itself on the line 9 and its edge 10 is adapted to extend beyond the central longitudinal axis of the body of the plate 7. The body of the plate 7 is provided centrally with an opening 11, through which there is adapted to extend a suitable pin 12.

The pin 12 has a round head at one end designated 13 and this is adapted to engage the inner side of the rectangular plate 8 while the shank of the pin extends upwardly through the opening 11 in the body of the plate 7.

The body of the plate 7 is secured to the inner side of the overlapped ends of the flaps 3 of the envelop, the pin is extended upwardly through the overlapped ends and through the end portion of the bottom flap 2. The ends of the diamond shaped plate are bent upwardly as at 141 and extended upwardly through the ends of the flaps 3 and through the end of the bottom flap 2, the extreme terminals of the plate 7 are bent inwardly as at 15, thus effectively securing the bottom flap and end flaps together as clearly shown in Fg. 2.

The keeper plate 6 is substantially diamond shape and has its body 16 provided with a central opening 17, and this plate is secured to the exterior of the sealing tongue 1 adjacent the apex thereof and it has its ends bent downwardly and extending through the sealing tongue at as at 19; the terminals of the ends being bent inwardly as at 20 to engage the inner surface of the sealing tong-nee and shown in 2. The sealing tongue is then forced downwardly against the exterior of the bottom flap 2 and the end of the pin 12 extends through the opening 17 and is upset by any suitable instrument or tool, thus securing theenvelop against being openedby an unauthorized person or without detection.

It being understood that the plate 18 acts as a base so that when driving or upsetting the head 21 of the pin 12 that the opposite end or head 13 will not be forced through the front portion of the envelop during the sealing operation.

In operation, the plate 5 is arranged transversely about the length of the envelop and is secured to the inner surface of the overlapped ends of the end flaps 3 of the envelop, the extreme terminals of the plate are bent upwardly and extended through the end flaps 3 and also through the endof the bottom flap 2, the pin is then inserted between the plates 8 and 7 and extended through the opening 11- up through and beyond the upper surface of the bottom flap 2, the keeper plate 6 is then secured to the sealing tongue on the exterior thereof and 1. An envelop sealing device comprising I a. base plate including a body, a rectangular plate formed from one edge of the body and bent back upon itself to overlie the longitudinal axis of the body, said body provided centrally with an opening, a pin arranged through the opening and between the body terior of the tongue of an envelop and having its ends extended therethrough and "bent back upon themselves, said keeper plate provided centrally with an opening receiving the projecting end of the pin, and its end upset by a suitable instrument, thus securely sealing or fastening the envelop against opening by an unauthorized person.

2. An envelop fastening device including the combination with an ordinary envelop having the end flaps, bottom flap and sealing tongue, a substantially diamond shape plate having a rectangular plate formed on one edge of said plate and bent back upon itself to provide a base, the body of the diamond shaped plate provided withran opening, a pin arranged through the opening and located between the plate and base plate, said diamond shaped plate secured to the inner surface of the overlapped ends of the flaps of the envelop, a pin extended through the overlapped ends of the envelop, the ends of the diamond shaped plate bent upwardly and angul-arly to securely hold the overlapped ends of the end flaps and bottom flaptogether, and a keeper plate substantially diamond shape provided centrally with an opening and secured by extending its ends through the terminals of the sealing tongue, and said plate provided with an opening receiving the projection portion of the pin, which portion of the pin is upset by a suit able instrument for effectively sealing the envelop against opening without detection.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT SCHLEBER.

Witnesses:

ANTHONY HERRLE, FRANK EDDY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing :the Commissioner'oilatents, if

' Washingtoml). C. 

